The Wireless is proud to present the premiere of Westley Holdsworth’s first single ‘Temple’.
Westley Holdsworth’s first single ‘Temple’ sees him going in a distinctly new musical direction. Moving away from the heavier and more melodic characteristics of his other bands, Proton Beast and Paquin, this is the first time Westley has focused in on such an unfamiliar sound.
He describes what he’s doing as a “modular synth based project” and says that this new direction is comparable to electronic drone music, although he’s not too keen on labeling it because it’s sure to evolve.
What he has in mind is trying to create something that the listener can get lost in, which he’s achieved by the building up and breaking down of repetition and making subtle changes throughout the composition.
“I don’t want this project to be completely linear, if I feel like introducing some guitar then I’ll play the guitar, but I’ve been slowly building some modular synths for the past couple years and all the tracks I’ve made so far have been created entirely on those synths. So I’ll build all the drum sounds and record the drum tracks in one take, then build the bass parts and record all the bass parts in one take, then the lead parts and so on, all from the same sound sources.
“It’s a really cathartic way to make music. When I sit down in front of the synths and just start making patches, plugging wires in and out and moving voltages around, it becomes quite Zen. I also get heaps of feedback from the synths. It doesn’t feel like a one-way relationship. I’m playing the synths as much as they are playing me.”
Westley Holdsworth. Photo: Supplied
‘Temple’ is especially indicative of what he’s trying to do and it’s something that he says has a connection to his ancestry, or “at least that’s what I was thinking about at the time I recorded it.” This insular approach to making music is new to him, he says. Usually, he’s the type of person to look outward.
“I’ve been using working alone as an opportunity to reflect on my life as well. Where I come from, growing up, friends and family and all that stuff. I’m originally from the UK and I sometimes get homesick, so for example I’ll rifle through a photo album and then write some music, trying to capture those emotions rather than just making music for the sake of it.”
The new project has also provoked some thought around his approach to performing live and he says that he feels that music is, first and foremost, about community. Although his songs may live online, playing live and making a connection with an audience is crucial to him.
“Being in the midst of the vinyl revolution, it’s common to hear the phrase ‘music sounds best on vinyl’. It doesn’t. It sounds best at a show. That’s where music exists for me - in the moment - and when you’re standing in front of people playing music it becomes a shared experience. The audience is as important as the performer.”
This won’t end his involvement in Proton Beast and Paquin though. Westley says that each project is as important as the next.
“This will certainly be easier to organise as I only have to consult with myself and we keep the same schedule,” he jokes.
There’s no EP or album planned for this new solo work either, but he’ll be drip feeding more new tracks out over the year as he sees fit.
